Impact of Drain Placement on Postoperative Complications after Thyroidectomy for Substernal Goiter.

Introduction Despite the evidence against drain placement after thyroidectomy, there is a lack of consensus on drain use in patients with substernal goiter. Objective To assess the factors that increase the likelihood of drain placement and its impact on postoperative hematoma and other 30-day complications among adult patients undergoing thyroidectomy for substernal goiter. Methods A retrospective cohort study that used data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who underwent elective thyroidectomy for substernal goiter from 2016 to 2020 were included. Cases with closed suction neck drains placed upon completion of surgery were included in the drain group, and the remaining cases formed the nondrain group. Results A total of 1,229 patients were included (46.5% with drain placement). The factors that increased the likelihood of drain placement included body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m 2 , score between 3 and 5 on the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification, sternal split/transthoracic surgical approach, operative time ≥ 90 minutes, and surgery conducted by otolaryngologists. Patients with clean-contaminated or contaminated wound classifications were less likely to be submitted to drain placement. In addition, drain use had no impact on postoperative hematoma formation but was found to independently increase the risk of prolonged length of hospital stay. Conclusion Thyroidectomy without drain placement might be safe for substernal goiter. However, this decision should be individualized for each patient. Level Of Evidence: 3.

Asthma exacerbations and body mass index in children and adolescents: experience from a tertiary care center.

The prevalence and incidence of asthma continue to rise globally. Obesity has been identified as a potential risk factor for asthma exacerbations. The association between body mass index (BMI) and asthma is not well studied in some regions. This study aims to investigate the impact of BMI in pediatric asthmatic patients. This retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital from 2019 to 2022. Children and adolescents with asthma exacerbation were included. The patients were classified into four groups based on their BMI: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese. The demographic characteristics, medications used, predicted FEV1 measurements, asthma exacerbations per year, length of stay per admission, and the number of patients requiring High Dependency Unit (HDU) care were recorded and analyzed. Our results demonstrated that patients in the healthy weight category had the highest percentage of FEV1 (91.46±8.58) and FEV1/FVC (85.75±9.23) (p<0.001). The study found a significant difference in the average number of asthma exacerbations per year between the four groups. Obese patients had the highest number of episodes (3.22±0.94), followed by the underweight group (2.42±0.59) (p<0.01). The length of stay per admission was significantly shorter for patients with a healthy weight (2.0±0.81), and there was a statistically significant difference observed in the number of patients requiring HDU care among the four groups, as well as in the average length of stay at the HDU (p<0.001). Elevated BMI is related to an increased number of annual asthma exacerbations, a low FEV1 and FEV1/FVC, increased length of stay at admission, and increased stay in the HDU.

Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Individuals: A Current Review of Evaluation, Screening and Prevention.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) can affect all age groups, including young persons. While less common in the age < 35 population, the occurrence of SCD in the young raises concern, with multiple possible etiologies and often unanswered questions. While coronary artery disease is the leading cause in those > 35 years of age, the younger population faces a different subset of pathologies associated with SCD, including arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies. The tragic nature of SCD in the young entails that we explore and implement available screening methods for this population, and perform the necessary investigations such as electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography. In this review, we not only explore the vast etiology associated with SCD in those age < 35, but emphasize evaluation methods, who is at risk, and delve into screening of SCD in potential victims and their family members, in an attempt to prevent this traumatic event. Future research must work towards establishing preventative measures in order to reduce SCD, particularly unexplained SCD in the young.

Association of vitamin D levels and asthma exacerbations in children and adolescents: Experience from a tertiary care center.

The role of vitamin D as an immunosuppressant and anti-inflammatory has been studied previously for different pathologies in different populations globally. Relationships between serum vitamin D levels and its effect on asthma exacerbations in the adolescent asthma population are not well studied in this region. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the vitamin D status in pediatric and adolescent asthma patients, and its association with asthma exacerbations. A retrospective study was conducted at The Aga Khan University Hospital from 2016 to 2020. Children and adolescents who were diagnosed and admitted with acute asthma exacerbations and who had at least one measurement of 25 hydroxy-vitamin D (25 OHD) were included in the study. Serum vitamin D levels were documented for enrolled patients and their past 2-year data was analyzed for asthma exacerbations, mean length of stay per admission, and admission plus length of stay at High Dependency Unit. 114 patients were included in the study. 41 patients (35.96%) were found to be vitamin D deficient, 38 patients (33.3%) were vitamin D insufficient, and 35 patients (30.7%) were labeled as vitamin D sufficient. The average number of exacerbations per year was significantly high in vitamin D deficient group (2.82±1.11) in comparison with insufficient (2.05±0.92) and sufficient groups (1.37±0.59) (p<0.001). Vitamin D deficiency is related to an increased number of annual asthma exacerbations, length of stay per admission, and admission into High Dependency Unit (HDU).

Role of inhaled antibiotics in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis: Experience from the tertiary care center.

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) remains under-diagnosed in Pakistan. CF population has increased tendency for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection and it is one of the leading causes of mortality. Utilizing inhaled antibiotics (IAs) for the treatment of Pa infection has been well established in the literature. There is limited data available on CF in Pakistan, especially regarding the efficacy of IAs. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of IAs on Pa infection in children and adolescents with CF. Methodology: CF patients enrolled between January 2012 and December 2019 were selected as part of this retrospective cohort study. CF patients from 2 to 18 years of age who cultured Pa on any respiratory sample and who had never been Pa-free in at least two sputum cultures in the previous 12 months were included. Patients were divided into an IA group and a noninhaled antibiotic (NIA) group based on the treatment they received. Follow-up was done between 3 and 6 months posttherapy on Pseudomonas growth in the sputum. The number of pulmonary exacerbations were documented for 6 months follow-up. Results: Eighty-one children with CF were enrolled during the study period, of which 39 were in the IA group and 42 were in the NIA group. There was no significant difference in their demographics and initial clinical characteristics. The mean pulmonary exacerbations after 6 months were lower in the IA group as compared to the NIA group (1.102 ± 0.50 vs. 2.45 ± 0.89: P = 0.001). Follow-up between 3 and 6 months showed greater Pseudomonas colonization in the IA group versus the NIA group (53.84% vs. 92.85%: P = 0.001). Conclusion: IAs in combination with airway clearance therapy and oral or IV antibiotics are an effective regimen for children with CF.